Ahead of Bakrid, Telangana warns against camel slaughter

Complying with an order of the Telangana High Court, the state government on Wednesday said transportation of camels for any purpose, including slaughter, into the state is illegal and anyone violating the law would be prosecuted.

Passing interim orders on a PIL which sought steps to prevent killing of camels during the coming Bakrid festival, the court had said it was the duty of the state to ensure that the camels were not slaughtered in the name of "tradition".

The transportation of camels into Telangana is strictly prohibited and no person shall slaughter or offer to slaughter the camel in the state. Any such violators will be prosecuted and punished as per the law, a press note issued by the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department said.

It also cited the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) 2015 Act which prohibits transportation of the animal from the western state. The high court had on July 17 said slaughtering of camels was "inhumane, unconstitutional and will be treated as a criminal offence."

Moreover, since the transportation of camels out of Rajasthan was prohibited, Telangana had a duty to ensure that they were not brought into the state clandestinely, it said. The court also directed the departments concerned to step up their efforts and to carry out inspection of licensed and unlicensed slaughterhouses in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and neighbouring Ranga Reddy district and prevent the illegal killing of camels and take action against those violating the laws.

The petitioner's counsel had submitted that during the period of Ramadan, especially of Bakrid there was "a tradition" of consuming camel meet in the state and the animals were invariably illegally brought from Rajasthan. "Subsequently, they are slaughtered for public consumption," the counsel had said adding the Rajasthan act clearly prohibited the transportation of camel outside the state.